Thursday, 31 January 2013

Edmonton Tarot: The Wheel of Fortune (X)

Interpretation: Drawing the Wheel of Fortune card indicates the occurrence of a big change or twist of fate. Life is full of ups and downs, but one must strive to keep the Big Picture in mind because the Wheel is always turning. Good or bad fortune will not last forever. All life is change and nothing is constant. That's the real lesson of the Wheel.

Image: Edmonton has quite a few two-lane traffic circles, thanks to some British ex-pat city planners back in the day who thought it was a good idea to have #@%$!! English roundabouts at certain intersections instead of traffic lights.

The problem, of course, is that not everyone knows the special driving rules needed to manoeuvre through multi-lane traffic circles. When I first moved to Edmonton, I had never seen a traffic circle in my life. The first time I found myself in one was a terrifying experience. I caused much honking, swearing and flipping of the bird by other drivers. It's a miracle that I didn't end up in a car crash.

After that, I avoided traffic circles like the plague and would drive blocks out of my way rather than use one. It was My Rare One who (thank goodness!) taught me how to correctly drive through them.

This traffic circle sign leads to the Edmonton intersection with the city's highest annual auto collision stats. Spinning the Wheel of Fortune, I drive through it at least twice a day.

In our small town, instead of paying to put up a stoplight at a busy intersection, our mayor thought it would be brilliant to spend millions of dollars to built a double roundabout. 5 years later and still no one has any idea how to use it properly. I almost get into an accident with someone just about any time I use it. Thanks, Mr. Mayor!

I grew up in a big city that had these, so I was exposed to them regularly throughout my driving years. And yet I was never able to get used to them. They overwhelmed me and they still do. Till this day, I try to avoid them! I cannot stand them.

you'll love where our only (until 4 years ago) rotary is.....where the Native American land north of the city meets the city limit. Now how in the for crying out loud did an idea from England invade the middle of nowhere New Mexico just where a progressive native tribe's sacred land meets suburbia.....it's a secret...but I think I like the irony. Oma Linda

Oh yes Edmonton's traffic circles. My brother directly expressed how to deal with those...wasn't it the person on the inside has the right of way...I believe? Gotta get in there first. I survived a few.

Another great interpretation!We have roundabouts here in Colorado. A fairly new thing - only being put into existence here in the last few years. Fortunately there are gobs of signs telling people what to do and how to drive in one. I would much rather deal with a roundabout than traffic signals.

Debra.....Roundabouts are a fairly new phenomenon in AZ....and like you.....it took me a while to figure them out. I had a friend from Idaho in the care one day when we encountered one...and I know she thought I was going to get us killed. LOL

Very interesting comparison! I dislike traffic circles because no one seems to know how to drive in them. In one job, I worked in a town where the traffic circle was designed backwards...literally, so people driving through it had to stop every few feet.

We have them here in Winnipeg now! I remember fondly the first time we touched down at Heathrow...get our rental, opposite side of everything, manual shift and off we go. First roundabout ever....husband did well! Not much honking behind us...

The city we live in has "Round Abouts" which connect different sectors, so you have to drive in circles every day. It's kind of convenient, you can always turn any way and find the needed sector, no matter which way you were driving before... wheels, circles...

It was the 1960's. I had never seen a roundabout. On a trip to England, we rented a little Ford with the steering wheel on the wrong side. Of course, they also drive on the wrong side of the road over there (from our perspective).

So at the first traffic circle, I was completely confused, went around several times and couldn't figure out how to get off the thing, eventually winding up on the island in the middle, at right angles to the traffic.

Had to wait quite a while for a large enough gap in the traffic flow to allow me to back out onto the road. We still laugh about it, but it wasn't funny at the time.

I don't think I've ever been in a reffic cicle, although I have heard of them. Sounds scary, like the wheel of Fortune i suppose, but as you say it is a temporary situation so if I ever find myself in one i shall take heart in that thought. (Temporary not meaning final hopefully).